malazanfandomcom-20200222-history
Tralka Vonan
Tralka Vonan (aka 'Blood Feeders') were vampire-like "demons" (driven more by mindless instinct rather than intellect) who were created by an infamously nasty curse - usually cast by a witch or warlock (or by any magic user powerful enough). The curse could be directed at an individual, a group, or a category – and could usually only be removed by the caster herself/himself. The death of the caster could not be counted on to void the spell. This curse transformed childless women who came – or who were already – of age into shrieking, blood-thirsty, ferocious monsters with snarling, snapping jaws and strong, sharply clawed hands. They had greenish ichor in their veins instead of blood and made beetle-like clicking noises when excited. When the 'frenzy' was upon them, screaming Tralka Vonan would attack and consume anyone warm-blooded who caught their attention and who were not able to escape from them or to kill them.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US TPB p.543-544Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US TPB p.605-608/610-612/613 In Toll the Hounds A Trygalle Trade Guild caravan, led by the sorcerer and navigator, Master Quell, (which was transporting the Trell, Mappo Runt, from Darujhistan, Genabackis, to the continent of Lether) made an unscheduled, intermediate (and more than usually dramatic) stop at a tavern in 'Reach of Woe' - a village of wreckers, which was situated on a "wreckers' coast" on an island located somewhere between Darujhistan and Lether. Shortly after the Trygalle Guild equipage's violent arrival (which had 'awakened' the Tralka Vonan to the presence in the village of strangers), the Trygalle Trade Guild shareholders and Mappo were attacked by three Tralka Vonan, who, with some difficulty and a bit of luck, were slain. These Tralka Vonan (of an initial twelve – the other nine having already been slain by other outsiders attacked by them) had been young maidens of the village when the original curse had been cast upon 'Reach of Woe' some four years previously.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US TPB p.543Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US TPB p.605-609 Master Quell, after the attack, had sought out and conferred with the Provost of 'Reach of Woe', Bedusk Pall Kovuss Agape (who happened to be a magically powerful Jaghut living in a tower near the village) – who admitted to being the caster of the Tralka Vonan curse upon the women of 'Reach of Woe' - telling Quell why he had done so and that he had no interest in undoing the spell. Quell learned from Bedusk Agape that the three women shareholders of the Trygalle Guild caravan, being childless, would be 'taken' by the curse unless they left the village within the day and went elsewhere further along the coast. The villagers of 'Reach of Woe' did much the same thing with their daughters who happened not to have undergone puberty, by taking them away from 'Reach of Woe' and settling them in other villages down the coast while the girls were young enough to not be susceptible to the Tralka Vonan curse. Quell told the Trygalle Trade Guild women to leave immediately and to stay away from 'Reach of Woe' until the Trygalle Trade Guild carriage (which had been severely damaged) was repaired sufficiently so that it and the Trygalle Guild men could come and collect them and continue the interrupted trip to Lether – which they were finally able to do days later - the Trygalle Guild women having successfully avoided the Tralka Vonan curse.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US TPB p.610-613/615Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US TPB p.674-676/677 Notes and references Category:Females